Universal coupler for supporting cameras on tripods



Jan. 18, 1949. H. J. AXTELL 2,459,676

UNIVERSAL GOUPLER FOR SUPPORTING CAMERAS ON TRIPODS Filed Jan. l2,4 1948 Harold, `Axtell Patented Jan. 18,l 1949 UNrvERsALfooU-BLERFORESUPPORTING Calvin-Ines oN-s'rnI-Ions y- U umido. Anteil, Rochester, N. Y. v Application `'January 12, 194s, iser'ialf-No. 1,1655;

Camerasare rused for :the purpose of :taking i pictures LFor -ithispurpose Vthey are f frequently mounted o rrtripods. 'fWhenf somountedlth'eyare `limitedinunovernenttothe'planeioi the y-top of Another object -`of A theinvention "is to hold the camera "rmly 1in Aany position in'l which litv jmay finally be` placed,`;and from which position lit can be gmcklyturned toanyother Aposition desired l .and llrrnly ithe i-new position..

In the drawings:

'Figure'l islasidefelevation ofthe'tripod'with vthe' coupling'gplaced en -the to pthe`reof.x-'v

'Figure2 is a vertical sectionjon-'the line '3a. 3s/mf Figure 1 on Aanfenlarged scale.

"In the drawing, reference numeral '-l Aindicates .thetripod', '.2 indicates the deck of ithe` tripod on which the conp1ing-is-p1aced, 3 indicates the 'ba-se .of 'the coupling,"hl/'i-1ll' 211 cylindricaltop or'boss 4 of 'reduced diameter. The ibase 'is .boredv 'and threaded fromthe bottom 11p onits vertical or central axis as ,indicatedatiand ya vStud 6 Ais used .stud .is ordinarilya partof the tripod. Onfthe .reduced tcpv of'the'gbaise and ,forming a .part thereof is 'mounted a pedestal 1 which has a .which engages with the .reduced .tcpzcflthe base on ywhich it can. turn. freelsdf .The reduced tcp .of the-,hase has an annular slot or groove 6d in its cylindrical surface, which yslot or groove is concentric withtherzverticalsaxisofathe base. f

In the bottom of the pedestal'isl threaded a Iscrew"Bl'ravingahorizcrrtal axiswhi-ch-screw has a knurled head 9 thereon. This 'screw-has a reduced end ifagfivhicliV iengagesawi-th I:the annular groovea and holds thepedestal firmly engaged: .withthewbase, permitt ing .i t,A however, toturn lthereonlfgByturning the screw, the pedestal can :thereof, 'from which extensicngtwo segments .are

`c u't away to form -two parallel male sides. ",Each

leavingan annular rim lllc on the margin of the counterbore.

Engaging with the sides of the extension is a 2x f L oFigure l on an enlargedscale.' 1 Figure 3` is .a 'horizontal Ysection on the jline @comme (cigare-17.7)

, lcracket,l fl ll which- `at thebottoni is. cul-. away-.lin-

-insicletliereof.` 'Theseparallel sidesonithe brack- Into Athis cup shaped'top is'inserted tel-.nelly 'to "form twoiparallel vfemale sidesronothe etare'fsornelwhat inA the'i'orm of :aicl 'Thesertlwo V:female .sides of the bracket-@make afsliding iengagement .with the :two finale :sides .on sion of the pedestal. f

lThe `pedestal fand one -side` of the bracket are .both perforated centrally to receive the stem ;|I. The Vothersicle of lthe bracket is provided with a recess which is threadedffwitha .;fe1nale thread `to l engage lwith themale threadgformedfonrthe end the .exten- 'of z.the1stem.-- ByV this stern the pedestalv and the K bracket :are lheld together so that they bracket. can swing onthe pedestal. 'This stem .hasa flarge lrnurled'head lZfthereon. Thisstem Aon -the end is threadediat-l .Withxthe male threadw- `This male thread Jengages with lthe :female .thread `-f0rmed inthe-sides l 4 :on the bracket. Atvthe-top oi fthe ibracket is acup shaped-.top integral :there- With; y f

a :ca-por plugfhaving a circular plate I 1 fontopfandhaving `azreduced end or 1hub kI8 below-,- 'Ihs hubhas an :annular slotfor groove l'a therein `inits'cylindrifoal surface, which grooveis'concentric rwithithe vertical axiszof the boss. `The reduced fend 118 engages with the cup shaped opening in :the top :of `the bracket, making a y.working tftherein. This cap can be turned in any direction'on the bracket. `In the topof thecircularfplateis' placed stud 20; which projects above the plate.

Initherbottom of every camera-is a socket -formedswith'affemale thread. This socket andfemale Ithread can engage with the malegthread-:onwl-the stud fllt) l.and thereby .the camera can vbe fastened in placeonvthe topofthe coupling.

"Into `the `side .-of'thecup vshaped top .l'ofthe --bracket fis formed la hole ywith-a Vvfemale thread --Lthereiir ihandle Z2-is provided-having-alreduced :end f'23l,=.which-'is thr'eaded zwithia male thread'and engages Ywithfthe :female threaded opening infthe =tpof--the bracket.- By giving A:thehandle-122 an extra turn, the reduced end of the handle'shown i'nFifc-'ure will engagefwiththe `vgroovejl 8a in the Ahuborreducedend ltoffth'e capihaving thecir- ---pointed up or dow-n Y-arldcan L4be'fturned at yany o'ftl'iese si'desis counterbored as'indicatedatlllb,

' sal adjustment of the camera is secured.

When the desired position of the camera is secured, the camera can be fastened securely in place by turning they knurled head 9 which locks it at the bottom and by turning the knurled head I2, which xes the angle on the horizontal axis and by turning the handle 22 which clamps the top of the coupling to the bracket.

In the annular grooves on the cylindrical parts 4 and I8v a bow spring 25 is inserted under tension which takes up the slackfspace between the cylindrical extension in each case and the cup shaped recess in which it fits. This makes a frictional engagement between the two parts which` `holds them together for all practical purposes and prevents the one from being `accidentally turned on the other.

As shown by the drawing, the camera'can 1vbe turned up through an angle of nearly 90 by pulling down on the handle and can be` turned.v

down through :an angle of about 90 by pulling up on the handle. This gives the lens of the --c'amera' a vertical swingo'f an: angle of about 130. "*f'lllierlens'zcan be :given a'horizontal swing of 360.

- fs: By removing'the handle or substituting a very short one, the camera can be turned up through Y an angle of 90 and turned down through 90 or can be given a total vertical swing of 180.

I claim: y f 1. A couplingr'adapted'to connect a camera to a -tripod, said coupling having a base plate, a cylindrical boss on top of the base plate, a pedestal fhaving :ahollow cylindrical base adapted to engage withthe boss' and its base, said pedestal having an upward extension having two parallel male sides, a lbracket having two parallel female sides 'extendingdownwardly therefrom :adapted to engage with the male sides `vof 'the pedestal, a hole throlxgh one ofthe downwardly extending sides \oivthelbrac'ket, a'l recess in the other side of the bracket,-ahole through the upward extension of the pedestal, a stem having a'male thread on .the end thereof adapted to pass through one side-of AMthe bracket and through the extension of the v pedestal and engage with thethreaded recess in the other side -of the bracket to hold the bracket lon the pedestal and permit the bracket to rock on the pedestaLsaidI bracket having a cup shaped recess on` top. thereof, a 'cover for said bracket having a plate on top thereof and a hub extension downward therefrom and engaging in' said cup 2. A coupling adapted to connect a camera to a tripod, said coupling having a base plate at the v bottom with ay vcylindrical `boss extending' upwardly therefrom, avv Cover plate for said coupling having a platev on top thereof and a cylindrical :hub rextending downward therefrom, means connecting the boss at the bottom with the hub at the top, which means can turn either on the boss I or'the hub through 360, said means having a top partand a bottom part and a horizontal axis con- :necting them in such manner that the top part of e. Vthe 'connecting means can turn 90 fromits uprightY position in either direction to a horizontal fnposition.' f l 3: In a coupling for a camera and a tripod, the

`combination `of a pedestal having a post placed upwardly thereon, 'a member mounted to rock on I said pedestal and axis forjoining the pedestal and the rocking member, the bottom of the ped- .estal being cylindrical and being recessed with a l recess to receive a cylindrical extension, the top of the rocking member being also recessed to receive a cylindrical extension, a plate having a cylindrical member on the bottom thereof extending down into the recess on top of the rocking ing member on top of the pedestal having a re- 'cess therein, the sides of which are parallel and .are adapted to engage the sides of the upright member, a bolt passing centrally and horizontally through both membersso that the upper member can rock on the lower member, said bolt being Hadapted to clamp .the upper-memberr mangian- 'gular-position on;tjhe,lower memben the bottom of e the pedestal being, recessedwith-thecylindrical recess having a verticalaxis,A abase 'platehaving an upwardly extending, 4cylindricalextension. on

the top thereof vadapted-.to engage lin the cylind rical recess of the,-pedestal, said* extension ,hav-

ing an annular. -recesstherein extending'. around the extension, ya ,set screw mounted on' the lpedestal and adaptedtd,engagewitlrtheupwardlyv extending cylindrical extension,,

,. 5,111 a couplingfor--a'camera andatripodthe combination of a'` ypedesta.1 havinganupright post thereon, v said post .having- 'alzrecessA therein, "the 35,

sides ofwhich are parallel andarezadaptedtoengage theV sides ofthe upright -member, a vbolt passing centrally and horizontally;l hrough Iboth members vso that the guppermember Acan'fr on the lov'verk memben. saidbolt being. .adapte Ito clamp thev upper member in any angular position on the lower member-,l thebottom vof thepedestal being recessed with'th'e cylindrical recess' having a vertical axis, abase .pl-ate, having Vari-,upwardly extending cylindricalextensionon the top 'thereoff adapted tofehgagefin the cylindrical 'iecefssl of the p edestahlsaid extension' having an-v annular recess ftherein v'extending around the extension, a

setsc'rew mounted mythe pedestal midfadapted to engage ,with the upwardlyf extending cylindrical l extension, a t'oplplatehaving.acylinder.extendling downward th'jerefrom'ladapted to ,engage in the cylindrical opening Qin 'the' g `top of ,they rocking member, `S aA Vhorizontally ,g l'extending member Q threaded into ,the sidefofthefrocking member'and v`any angularpos'ition. with reference tql.rt h uphaving an. extensin ,adapted,to engage ywith, the

cylinder byfwhichthetop-plte can be D139 dfln member; .L

right axis of therocking Thev followingVv e ,l erences are vof 'e in. the kfile of this ,patentz r. 

